


I Don't Know What It Is

by Everdistant



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, but its not really an au, slightly different continuity than canon in terms of who meets who when, the rest of roselia and poppin' party also
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-09-30 06:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everdistant/pseuds/Everdistant
Summary: Sayo wants to be better than she is right now. Tae just doesn't like seeing someone put themselves down. Neither of them has any idea who they are, or where they're going with this.So, Tae being Sayo's guitar instructor probably isn't a good idea, but it's where they're at.(or: Yes, this is a multichapter TaeSayo fic.)





	1. I Don't Know What It Is

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what it is  
But you got to do it

It starts at their first group live.

To Sayo, these group lives aren't worth her time. It's not that she dislikes these other bands, of course. If they want to play around after school, that's their right. And if some location, live house, or club wants to book them, that's on them. It's none of her business what other people do with their time, even if they aren't taking it seriously.

But it feels degrading. She's a serious musician, not a girl playing around after school. Roselia doesn't play songs about their favorite snacks, or bubbly romance, or how fun it is to be in a band after school. They play songs with feeling, about their regrets and their overwhelming passion. They're trying to communicate something. Being lumped in with hobbyists is humiliating.

So forgive her for arguing, a little, with Yukina. That a performance like this is beneath them, that they've already found some success, that they shouldn't be degrading themselves. It was Lisa who'd taken issue with that assessment, and so Sayo...

It isn't Lisa's fault, either. She can see the faces of the college bands, the little roll of their eyes whenever Sayo passes by one of them, still in her uniform. Lord forbid, the few actual professional musicians she's met. She'd felt like a child playing with blocks and calling herself a construction worker.

And she is a child, if she's storming out of a dressing room over an argument she'd started, but she needs the room to breathe. She grips onto her guitar case like a life preserver, proud of the fact that she's a musician, and makes her way out of the venue, still unsure what she should do. She glances at a vending machine, remembers that she's already stress-eaten a bag of potato chips today, then considers just turning around and going back inside.

At least until she hears the strum of a guitar. It's distant, but clear as day. Nobody's playing, but they're tuning. One of the other bands? Her ears perk up when she hears it again, realizes it's not coming from back inside. A third strum, and she follows after it, turns the corner to some, well, corner. It's a quiet little place, stone benches covered in moss. Some outdoor area of the venue that never actually got used.

When the sound of a guitar reaches her ears, Sayo finally sees her. Practiced, calloused fingers, running along well-loved strings. Jeans with a hole in them, ratty in a way that makes it clear that isn't a fashion statement. Brown-gray hair that's longer and, humiliatingly, smoother than Sayo's. Very tall. Fetching. Beautiful wouldn't be the right word, both too heavy and not having the right feel to it. Maybe handsome.

Sayo immediately pegs her for a college student, with that kind of look, begins to turn around. She'd rather not talk to one of those right now.

She's about halfway through turning before there's a hand on her shoulder, and somehow the girl's moved from her bench to right up in Sayo's space in the span of two seconds.

Sayo blinks.

The girl blinks back. There's a quirk to her lips, a lopsided smile tugging at the corners of them, her eyes searching Sayo's.

"... Can I help you?" Sayo asks, cold, regretting it the moment the words are out of her mouth. "You looked sad," the other girl says, but Sayo's thoughts are already in their usual spiral. Really, she just shouldn't talk at all, if she's always going to snap at someone, always going to take out her frustrations on someone else.

"Hey," the other girl tries again. "It's okay." Sayo's eyes must betray her surprise, because the girl's hand goes from her shoulder to her wrist, wrapping firm enough to guide her but loose enough that she could escape. If she wanted to.

Surprisingly, she doesn't want to.

"You sit down," College Girl says, hand firm on Sayo's shoulder once more, easing her down to the bench. Her smile's reassurring, but Sayo's eyes are drawn more to the other girl's guitar as she leans forward, gaze wandering across it. It looks older than her own, well-used. Sayo feels even more out of her depth, with her guitar she only got six months ago. Still smooth, the finish still shining when the light glances over it.

Frankly, the other girl's guitar looks like someone keyed it.

"I'll get us some drinks. Is coffee good?"

Sayo can physically feel her own frown, so it's no surprise when the other girl laughs as she pulls away, scratches the back of her neck.

"Soda for you," she decides with a grin.

"That'll be fine," Sayo agrees. "Grape, if they have it," she adds, voice still bland due to her confusion. Her fingers are drumming against her thigh, already overthinking this. Who on Earth is this, and why are they buying her soda?

The girl's already gone, though, turning the corner with a little wave. Sayo briefly considers making a break for it, decides to stay more for the promise of free soda than anything else. She regards the abandoned guitar, reaches for it after a moment.

Her fingers run over the scratches and dents, the strings, contrasting in how new they are. How old is this thing, she wonders? It almost looks like a hand-me-down.

She's not about to actually pick up someone else's guitar, and even after a couple of minutes, it doesn't seem like the other girl is coming back. For want of anything better to do, she reaches for the guitar case slung over her back.

She's five, six minutes into tuning when the other girl finally comes back, a canned coffee in one hand and a soda in the other. Grape, Sayo notices, and she sets her guitar down in her lap to take it gratefully, pops the tab and sips.

"Sorry," the other girl says, shaking her head. "I thought they had some grape soda here, but I wound up having to go to that convenience store down the road."

"That's a ten minute walk," Sayo notes over the top of her soda, and the other girl shrugs.

"I would have ran the way back, too, but. Soda, you see? I had your soda."

That's incredibly not the point, but there's no point protesting now. Sayo feels bad that she made her go out of her way, though, and so she reaches into her jeans pocket for her wallet. "Here, I'll pay you for the soda," she says.

And the other girl reaches for her own wallet. "Here, I'll pay you for the coffee."

"What?"

"I wanted coffee anyway, so you gave me an excuse to get some."

"If you don't want me to pay you back, you can just say so," Sayo murmurs as she slides her wallet back into her pocket, takes another sip of her drink. When she looks up once more, the other girl seems legitimately confused. Like she's replaying the conversation over in her mind.

"... Sorry," Sayo says after a moment, unsure what she's apologizing for but fully aware her tone became snippy, somewhere along the way. "I had an argument with a bandmate. I'm still not quite feeling myself."

"Mmmm," the other girl hums in response, picking her guitar back up and sitting down alongside Sayo, her coffee sat beside her. "When you're in a band, you rely a lot on other people. So when you're not on the same page, it feels really bad. Right?"

"Yeah," Sayo agrees, taking another sip. "Especially when it's something petty," she trails off.

Then realizes she hasn't introduced herself this entire time. Face flushing slightly, she points a finger up at herself. "Hikawa Sayo. Thank you for your time," she adds, still guilty over making this stranger go out of her way.

"Hanazono Tae," the other girl - Hanazono - says, reaching to tune her own guitar, giving it a little strum. The sound fills the empty corner, bounces off the outer walls of the venue.

"How long have you been playing guitar, Hanazono?" Sayo asks, eyes watching Hanazono's fingers. They're even, calm, composed. Even when tuning, Sayo's fully aware she's the type to grip too tight, worry over everything.

"Family names?" Hanazono blinks once, twice, then nods, "Most of my life, Hikawa," she answers, voice fond. "I had friends who liked music even when I was a kid. Ah, but they were kids too. So none of us were very good. But we liked it."

"You've never taken any breaks?" Sayo asks, and Hanazono shakes her head.

"Sometimes I never had anyone to play with. But I had my guitar, so," Hanazono shrugs to finish off the thought, still brushing her pick along the strings. Another practice strum, and she finally seems content with the tuning of her guitar. "Do you need a hand with yours?"

"Eh?" Sayo tilts her head, looking down. Unlike how easily she got into her face before, Hanazono's hands are hesitant about touching Sayo's guitar, fingers a fair few inches away from it, waiting for permission.

"You're new? You might not know how to tune it without a tuner," Hanazono explains, then pauses, grins. "I could be a tuner, though. Ting."

Sayo stares.

"Ting," Hanazono repeats, at a slightly higher pitch.

"You can just tell me what to do," Sayo finally sighs, readjusting her grip on her guitar.

Then Hanazono slides the box she was using as a footrest over to Sayo's feet. Before Sayo can even process that, Hanazono's ankles are brushing against one of hers, lifting her foot up off the ground. Sayo draws it back on instinct, and Hanazono chases after it, tapping at her heel with her toes. It's only a moment before Sayo's foot has been badgered into resting on the box.

She's still staring blankly over at Hanazono. What on Earth.

"When you're sitting down, you need a footrest. More natural position. Okay, we're good. Good foot. Actually, straighten them out a bit? There you go. Good Hikawa."

Well, she is a college girl, Sayo figures. She could be on something. And she's right about her foot, as odd as it is to say. Now that she's followed her instructions, her lower body does feel much more relaxed, the weight of her guitar more evenly distributed.

"Fifth low E string," Hanazono says, and Sayo places her finger there, gives it a strum. "He's a girthy boy, so you can be a little harder with him."

"Please never talk about a guitar string like that ever again."

"Big chunky boy. Here to help you make music."

The big chunky boy's sound is fine, at least. It's hard for Sayo to tell if everything is quite right, because -

"No pick?" Hanazono asks, leaning towards her.

"I didn't bring mine out of the changing room," Sayo murmurs, rubbing at the back of her neck. "It was spur of the moment."

Hanazono's already thrusting one into her hands. A spare, probably. "It makes you feel really cool, but you'll ruin your fingers if you do that too long. Blisters are bad. Especially for pretty hands. Here."

"Pardon?"

"Blisters are bad."

"After that."

"Here," Hanazono repeats, pushes the pick between Sayo's fingers, and Sayo gives up the argument. She does need a pick anyway.

She tries the string one more time, and this time everything sounds as it should, she figures. She'll have to readjust for everyone else's instruments, but at least this might save her a little time. Or, more likely, give her something to do while she tries to sort out her thoughts.

"Open A should match it. They're twinsies."

Sayo twitches. "You don't have to talk to me like I'm five, Hanazono," she snaps, and Hanazono blinks once more, tilts her head.

"This is how I talk to me, though."

Ugh. No, Hanazono's right. She's trying to explain this in the best way she knows how, and Sayo's the one snapping at her. "Sorry," she says after a moment, and Hanazono shakes her head.

"No, no, that one is my fault. I'm not talking to me, I'm talking to you. I can be more serious."

Sayo blinks across at her, and Hanazono scoots over, points with her finger at Sayo's strings.

"There, yeah, that's open A. Have it match Low E. Tune it lower if it's too high, higher if it's too low. Then we do open D, then open G. You know where those are?"

This close, Sayo notes Hanazono's scent. It's not a girly scent. Woodsy, she'd describe it as. Like a forest. Not incredibly feminine, but calming. Her voice, too - it's even, like, well. Like a well-tuned guitar.

Sayo realizes her face is hot.

"Erm," she murmurs, trying not to look like the blushing schoolgirl that she literally is. "Yes, I do. You're right that I haven't been playing very long, but I'm good at memorizing things like that. I spent hours reading books while I saved up money for my guitar."

"Oh, that's good. A lot of people just kinda jump right in. It's good that you did some brushing up. Your guitar probably appreciates it. She looks good as new. You handle her well."

"Mm."

"Little looser on the neck, though. You're still adjusting, but she wants to help."

Hanazono's wording is as metaphorical as it was before, but it's less silly. No, it's the tone that's different. Quiet, more appreciative. Sayo will never be the kind of person to personify instruments like that, but for a moment, she sees the appeal.

If nothing else, her guitar is her partner. It isn't an object she's trying to force into doing something for her, it's something that's helping her express herself. When she thinks of it like that, it's easy for her to loosen her grip.

"Good," Hanazono hums. "What about your band?"

"Eh?"

"You said you had an argument, right, Hikawa? Was it like that?"

Like what? Sayo wonders, then realizes. Oh.

Little looser on the neck, huh.

"... A little," Sayo admits, sighing as she looks out across the little courtyard they have to themselves. "I want us to be as good as we can, as soon as we can. That's why myself and Minato - the singer - made the band. But..."

"Everyone wants to be good. Even people who already are. There's no point getting frustrated that you aren't as good as you could be. Nobody will ever be as good as they could be. But you can be as good as you are. See?"

"... I'm sorry to say that I don't?" Sayo tilts her head in response, trying to mentally diagram that sentence.

"No, no, you're right. That didn't make sense," Hanazono admits, fingers going up to her own chin as she thinks it over, pulls away from Sayo. Her foot taps against the ground, once, then twice. Hanazono, to Sayo, seems like a girl of nervous habits, unrestrained body movement. It's charming. Sayo's own nervous habits are all internalized.

"... Well, everyone else worries about the same thing. That's the important part. Iunno who you argued with about what, but if you're in a band together, you both want the music to be good. So you can work it out."

Sayo takes that in, then nods, taking a sip of her near-forgotten soda. They sit in the silence for a second, and then Sayo glances over at Hanazono, nods towards her. "Are you in a band?" She asks, mostly to distract herself from how right Hanazono is. She doesn't want to own up to how silly she's been.

Hanazono nods, and Sayo imagines an entire band of girls like Hanazono. Maybe not her style of music - the first thing that comes to mind is progressive rock - but there'd be something sincere about them.

"I'm pretty different from everyone else in it, though. A lot of them are pretty new. Or pretty nervous," Hanazono explains, waving her hand as if she read Sayo's mind. "But I'd never think they were holding me back, or anything, or that they don't get what I want. We all want the music to be good. That really makes me happy."

Hanazono leans back as she explains that, then looks up at the sky, stands up. "Uhm, for the B string - tune it to G, not low E. Then tune high E to B. Be really careful about high E, okay?"

She pauses, then grins down at Sayo, leans forward so they're at eye level.

"She's tense, and needs a little management so she doesn't snap, but she's trying her best."

Sayo's eyes widen, and Hanazono hops back to her feet, reaching for her own guitar and shrugging it back over her shoulders. Then she reaches for her coffee, downs it in one go. "Are you playing today, Hikawa? I'll be sure to watch you,"

"Ah - yeah. We're on last."

"That's good. You can watch me, too. We're on first."

Sayo nods, still stunned, as Hanazono turns the corner and vanishes from sight. She sits where Hanazono's left her for a moment, sipping on her soda, finishes tuning her guitar, just like Hanazono explained. Her fingers run across high E for a moment, replaying Hanazono's words in her mind.

Nervous, she plays it with her pick. It sounds fine. It doesn't snap.

And so she returns to the dressing room, endures the worried hug from Ako. Makes sure she apologizes to Lisa before Lisa gets started in on anything about them both being at fault. Yukina seems content with that much, and so the matter's settled, quickly enough that she manages to slip away to watch the first band from backstage.

The venue's tiny, and about half full even then. It's the middle of the day, after all. There's no big acts here, either. To some people, it might feel cozy, but all Sayo can focus on is how small time it all is.

Undeterred by any of that, a bubbly, energetic, short girl - clearly a high schooler - hops onto the stage, her own guitar slung around her neck with no care or grace. She plays a chord, a little out of tune, and both her and the audience laugh. "Haha, sorry, folks!" She apologizes, rapping her knuckles playfully against her own head. Knows how to work a crowd, at least.

She reaches to tune it, frowns, and then a familiar looking girl, tall and calm, leans across, into Sayo's field of vision. She can about make out what she says to that other girl, even with the ambience of the audience. And how loud their outfits are, pink and pom-pom'd.

"Fifth low E, remember?" Hanazono says to her bandmate.

Oh, Sayo thinks.

A few strums later, Hanazono's bandmate gives the tiny audience a thumbs-up, to a good-natured round of applause. "Thank you, everyone! We had an intro planned, but we don't wanna make you wait any longer! So we're Poppin' Party, and this is My Heart is a Chocolate Cornet!"

_Oh_, Sayo thinks.

How about that.


	2. I Feel You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayo hyperfocuses. Tae really likes bunnies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You take me there  
You take me where

The worst part is that they're decent.

Not _good_. Even Roselia fails to live up to that standard, some days, isn't all Sayo knows they can be. So she isn't going to call this cut-rate high school band good, either. But they're decent. The keyboard is a little ahead, the bass is a little behind, and she has no earthly idea what the singer is trying to do. But they're decent. The drummer keeps everyone roughly on time, and Hanazono...

Well, she knew Hanazono was good, but she only now realizes how good. Compared to everything going on around her, it's a virtuoso performance. Sayo can focus on her guitar and hear what the song would be, in an ideal world. It's heavy praise, but it doesn't feel like exaggeration. Hanazono's playing is confident and relaxed, conveys everything she wants it to, clear as a bell.

Sayo hates music like this, but focusing on Hanazono's playing, she can almost get it. Fun, bouncy, with a sincere appreciation for the world around you. It's a waste of Hanazono's talents, Sayo thinks, and then she crosses her arms, leans against the wall, tries to brush that thought off. Presumptuous, she knows that much. But it's hard not to slip into that train of thought - that Yukina would prefer a guitarist like Hanazono, and Hanazono would be better served in Roselia.

But where would that leave Sayo?

She's lost in that thought the entire rest of the day. For the rest of Poppin' Party's performance, for their warm-up, and even when Roselia steps onto the stage, she's still thinking about it. When she thought Hanazono was a college girl, in a more 'proper' band, she could write off any difference in their skill as experience. As validity. When she realizes they're the same - if anything, Roselia is in a more respected place - it stings. Hanazono is better than her, just because.

She only screws up once during their performance. A missed beat, her wrist not moving in the way she wants it to. It's early on, only Lisa seems to even notice, and all she does is glance over, nod when Sayo catches back up. Smiles. It's fine, everything is fine. Even when Yukina calls her out on it in the dressing room afterwards. It's a small comment, and she has similar ones for everyone else. Tighten up in the chorus, Ako. Let the others pick up their own slack, Lisa.

... Actually, that second one is just another comment about her, isn't it?

So laying in bed at 3:37 am, sheets bundled up around her, surrounded by books turned to the seventh or eighth page - that's just her not being able to sleep well. It's been a recurring problem with her for as long as she can remember. Go to bed at ten, like a responsible adult. Wake up at three. Roll around for an hour or two. Fall back asleep. Wake up at six thirty, pretend like she's gotten a full night's sleep. Her mother's noticed, but it's easy to pretend it happens less than it actually does.

In reality, Sayo's already starting to find the whole thing cliche. She feels bad, so she can't sleep, which makes her feel worse. It makes her feel like a child. A repetitive child, at that - surely she can find some other way of being exhausted.

"Welcome to the rituals that can only take place in the night, Sayo! A, uh, nightly ritual!"

Like that. She doubts anyone on earth is exhausting in the way Ako is. It's almost comforting, at this hour.

"Udagawa, you're going to wake your sister," Sayo sighs as she scoots herself up against the wall her bed is next to, phone up to her ear. "Or your parents."

"My parents aren't home, and my sister could sleep through a hurricane! -- Actually, she did, once. It was cool!"

Well, when you live with Ako, Sayo supposes that's the kind of skill you would develop.

"Besides, what about Hina?"

Sayo brings a potato chip up to her mouth, gives the corner of it the slightest of nibbles, as if that makes eating junk food at this hour any better.

"What about Hina?" Sayo parrots back, then sighs. "She's at Yamato's," she adds, wanting to dedicate as little thought as possible to the fact that Hina is playing guitar too. For once in her life, she's having anxiety without Hina. It's almost refreshing. She doesn't want to make this old hat.

Ako makes a low humming noise on the other side of the line, and for a moment Sayo wants to tell her to cut it out, but her voice cuts back in before she can.

"Somethin' up? Girl trouble?"

Sayo nearly chokes on her potato chip crumb, glares like her phone can see it. "Of course not - wait, girl?"

"You like guys?" Ako asks, the idea clearly faintly ridiculous to her, and Sayo huffs and looks away from the phone.

"That isn't the point, Udagawa. ... I met someone before the concert yesterday, is all."

"Girl -"

"I'll hang up and text you spoilers for Akuma no Riddle. I've been wanting those volumes back, anyway."

"Nyooo, I'm still not done...!"

"Exactly."

Sayo grunts as she readjusts her position, scooting her bowl to the side as she crosses her legs, takes a deep breath. How to explain this in a way that Ako can understand? Or rather, how to explain this in a way that won't make Ako feel pity for her?

"She was a guitarist in a different band. She was very good, so she gave me a few tips. It made me feel a little frustrated, that I have to rely on advice from some random stranger. That's all."

"Oooh? And what did this fey traveler look like?"

"... Tall? Greyish-black hair," Sayo explains after a moment of searching. "Very touchy, in terms of body language. A little off-rhythm."

"Uhm," Rinko's voice cuts in, and both Ako and Sayo squeak in surprise. She can hear Ako halfway falling off her bed.

"Shirokane?" "Rinrin!"

"... You guys don't have to be so surprised," Rinko murmurs, quiet enough that Sayo can hear the puffs of air hitting the phone more than Rinko's actual voice.

"I thought you fell asleep!" Ako whines.

"I didn't even know you were in this call," Sayo adds. "Udagawa, tell me that, next time."

"Are there fell secrets that only a warlock of my caliber should be privy to?" Ako boasts, then (somehow) audibly leans back, bursting into evil laughter. Mildly evil laughter. Sayo supposes that she is actually worried about waking Tomoe.

Sayo can hear Rinko readjusting her grip on the phone, a few seconds of silence, and then, "That girl you mentioned, uhm... I think she might... go to our school?"

"... Shirokane?" Sayo tilts her head over at her phone, trying to process that thought. No, she had realized that Hanazono was a high schooler. Actually, wait, she knows her name. That fact had nearly slipped her mind.

"Hanazono?" Sayo tries, and there's a small gasp on Rinko's end.

"Yes, that would be... uhm, she's one of our underclassmen, actually."

"... Pardon?"

* * *

And that's why Sayo spent just a little longer in front of the bathroom mirror today. She isn't the type to wear much make-up, but she wanted to make sure her hair was straight, that the shadows under her eyes weren't visible. No matter what Ako says, it's about making a good first - second? - impression.

Besides, Hina wasn't home. She'll take *those* small pleasures where she can get them.

It takes the entire day for Sayo to even catch sight of Hanazono. She doesn't want to just go into the first year classes first thing in the morning. So she waits, chews more on her fingernails than her food during lunch, and finally sees her as she's leaving school.

Leaving school the moment the bell rings. Sayo is on the second floor, sees her through a window, and she'll apologize to whoever she has to for running in the halls. She grabs her guitar from the empty clubroom she always keeps it in, thankful she keeps it at school for when Yukina schedules practice for right after school, then hurries to the gates. By the time she gets there, Hanazono's already past them, nearly turned the corner, and Sayo's completely out of breath.

She doubles over, for a second, Hanazono and the rest of her band staring at her as she takes a deep breath. She just isn't built for running. Hands on her knees, she pushes herself up straight, brushes her hair out, takes a step forward.

"Hanazono," she starts, like this was a completely normal entrance, and she can see the other girls sizing her up. The drummer looks a little judgmental. Sayo doesn't pay her any mind.

"I wanted to thank you again, for yesterday. And... well, after watching you perform, you're very... talented," Sayo decides on after a second, trying not to sound like some sort of stalker.

Hanazono, for her part, rubs the back of her head, steps closer, nods. "Thanks, Hikawa," she says, sincerely, and she seems like she's about to say something else - "I saw you -" she begins, and Sayo completely cuts her off, raising her hand. She doesn't want to hear Hanazono's opinion of her before she's even asked this.

""So, I'd like you to... if possible," Sayo's grip adjusts, awkwardly, on her guitar bag, tongue running over her teeth. She isn't sure how to phrase this in a way that doesn't make her seem like a lunatic. She's met Hanazono only once before, and she's got her own band to worry about. Maybe this is a stupid idea.

But if it helps her secure her place in Roselia, if it helps her carve out a space for herself - and as soon as that thought enters her mind, she's bowing her head, deep. Shoulders stiff and straight as she does, about as proper a bow as she can manage without getting down to her hands and knees.

"Please, could you tutor me, Hanazono?"

"Oh, sure."

"I understand your reluctance, but we can work according to your schedule, and I'll pay you for your - eh?"

Sayo's jaw goes slack as she looks up at Hanazono, body still bowed but head tilting upwards.

"You seem like a really fast learner, Hikawa. And I saw you yesterday, you're already pretty good. So, yeah. We can?"

Sayo does not understand this woman on any level. She forces herself to stand up straight, feeling more than a little silly - she can see Hanazono's friends in the background. The blonde looks annoyed. The girl from the other day, their singer, looks weirdly proud. "O-Tae's a really good teacher! Good choice, Sayo!"

That girl acting like they're on a first name basis is not helping how absurd she feels, right now. What's her name, even? She seems like a Somethingsawa or a Somethingyama. Sayo sighs as she brushes herself off, fidgets with her guitar case now that she's standing up once more. There's a few other students milling past them, but Sayo pays them no mind. Instead, she reaches for her wallet.

"What would an acceptable rate be, Hanazono?" She asks. "I spend most of my money on Roselia, but I can figure something out. If your fee's high, we can just make the lessons biweekly -"

"No, weekly's better. How much could you afford weekly?" Hanazono asks, leaning forward. Peering, really, eyes ducking into Sayo's wallet.

"Erm," Sayo stumbles, then glances down into her wallet herself. "Three thousand yen, maybe?"

"Two thousand's plenty," Hanazono says, like she's the one getting something out of this. But two thousand *is* plenty - three thousand would have strained Sayo's budget - so she doesn't question it.

Instead, she reaches into her wallet, pulls out a couple of bills and folds them into Hanazono's hand. "Here. Take this for yesterday, then."

"You got me coffee, though," Hanazono says, and pushes the bill back into Sayo's hand.

"I --"

... Wait, no, it was Hanazono that had gone to get the coffee. As soon as she thinks that, she starts to push the wadded up money back into Hanazono's grip.

"Ehh, she got you coffee? O-Tae, you didn't mention that part!" The singer, Somethingsawa she's still banking on, says as she vamps into the corner of Sayo's vision, grinning between the pair. "I'm Kasumi, by the way! You're with Yukina's band, right?"

"-- That would depend on how you know Minato?"

"We met on the beach!" Kasumi (if ever Sayo wished she knew someone's last name for certain, to force some distance) says, fists pumping. "Well, more like I bumped into her on the beach. We traded LINE info! She only ever replies if it's about stray cats, though," Kasumi prattles on further, with no regard for the fact that she's interrupting a conversation.

"There are a lot of those," Hanazono adds, as if Kasumi being a part of this conversation is natural. Her and Sayo have been pushing the money back and forth the entire time. Sayo feints left, then tries pushing it up underneath Hanazono's fist and pulling away. Hanazono twists her wrist to block her. It's incredible, how dedicated she is to not taking Sayo's money.

"I keep worrying they're going to get at the rabbits," Hanazono adds, completely unconcerned with the financial thumb war her and Sayo are engaged in. Seeing that, Sayo finally gives up, pulls her hand - and her money- away. Hanazono at least smiles over at her, so taking that loss doesn't feel that painful. And she has three thousand more yen than she was expecting to.

"You keep rabbits, Hanazono?" Sayo asks conversationally, pushing the bills back into her wallet. Kasumi gives her a sympathetic grin, ducks back out of view, and -

"I *do*," Hanazono gasps, eyes wide, taking Sayo's hand back into hers. Somehow her phone is already in her other hand. "Do you want to see?"

"Erm," Sayo stammers. For support, she glances over Hanazono's shoulder, hoping her bandmates might collect her. They're already slipping away. The charlatans. Kasumi's friendliness was just a ruse.

"Now, this one is Oddie -"

\---------------------

Somehow, this conversation has turned into Hanazono walking Sayo home. She doesn't know which way Hanazono goes home, so this might be a massive waste of both their times, but Sayo had started moving at some point during show-and-tell and Hanazono had started following.

To show her more pictures, of course. The few times Sayo's walked home with a schoolmate, mostly Rinko, they've walked at an arm's length. Little conversation, definitely no physical contact.

Unlike Hanazono, who is currently shoulder to shoulder with Sayo, her phone still in her face as they walk.

"Here he is when he was just a baby. I think two to three months old is when they are at the peak of bunniness. Compare the floppiness of the ears."

"What's the difference between a bunny and a rabbit?" Sayo asks, less because she's curious and more because she knows Hanazono is dying for her to ask. Hanazono lights up even further at the question, lips twitching like *she's* the rabbit.

"Bunny is to rabbit as puppy is to dog," Hanazono explains. "People call even big dogs puppies sometimes, right?"

"If they're cute enough, I suppose," Sayo agrees, trying not to betray how pleasant the idea of a large, cute dog is. Hanazono's phone pulls away for just a second. It comes back with a picture of a fat, floppy bunny resting on a proud looking dog's head.

Sayo's lip quirks.

"You like dogs, Hikawa?" Hanazono asks with a grin, pocketing her phone, the barrage of rabbit pictures over for the moment. They're taking a circuitous route to Sayo's home, so they were making a pleasant enough distraction, but Sayo wouldn't want to see them the entire time.

Then again, the reason they've taken the long way is because Sayo couldn't find the room to tell Hanazono where she lives, between all the bunny facts.

"If have to pick an animal, I like dogs the most," Sayo settles on, shrugging to try and downplay it. "They're loyal and intelligent," she adds. Ideal qualities in a pet. She'd never feel like a cat actually needed or liked her. Hanazono seems pleased enough with the answer, so they drop the conversation.

... Walking silently with someone is pretty awkward, huh. Sayo's used to it, with Rinko, but now that her and Hanazono have actually talked, the silent feels deafening. Sayo searches her mind for topics - Hanazono's rabbits, guitar, their bands - but comes up short, chews on the inside of her cheek.

Hanazono doesn't seem to mind the quiet, though. She walks without worry, halfsteps away from Sayo so she can. No, wait, she's just walking away. And crossing the street. And continuing to walk.

Sayo stares blankly at her as she goes, feeling more than a little hurt by the sudden, silent rejection, until, with just as little warning, Hanazono stops in front of a music store.

Then starts jumping up and down, frantically, waving her arms. "Hikawa! You ditched me!"

"You ditched me," Sayo pouts from her end of the street, but Hanazono can't hear her. And now *Hanazono* looks hurt, and Sayo's crossing the street before she even realizes it, one hand still on her guitar case. She feels ridiculous, and she thinks this might be jaywalking, but it's not like there's any cars on this street.

It's only a moment before she catches up to Hanazono, and as soon as she does, Hanazono's turning to lead them into the store. "C'mon," Hanazono says with a grin. "If I'm gonna be teaching you, I wanna introduce you to some music. "You like Hendrix?"

"I am not paying for a Jimi Hendrix album."

"You buy it if I buy something you like, okay? What sort of music do you like, Hikawa? Sad stuff?"

Don't say Depeche Mode, don't say Depeche Mode. Who in Japan even listens to Depeche Mode? The last thing she wants to do is come across as some sort of hipster.

"Depeche Mode,"

"Ah, that fits you," Tae says with an honest, appreciative smile. Followed by a little 'snnrk.'

The another. Hanazono is struggling not to laugh, so much so that her cheeks are puffed up. Oh, no. Hanazono's actually listened to them before.

"I'm leaving," Sayo huffs, turning on her heel and refusing to even glance back at the music store.

"Wait, Hikawa," Hanazono says, serious enough that Sayo, reluctantly, turns back to look at her. Her eyes are half-lidded, like she's about to say something important.

"That'd be The Worst Crime," Hanazono begins, and Sayo is already walking away as fast as she can, Hanazono matching her stride. "Don't just Leave in Silence."

"_Goodnight,_" Sayo insists, and Hanazono's eyes light up.

"Lovers?"

"Oh my God."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided it made more sense to have Sayo's narration refer to Tae as 'Hanazono.' I edited Chapter 1 too, to match this. Next chapter may or may not be Tae POV. Let's find out together.


End file.
